Release Detail

February 15, 2001 - New York Voters Back More Money For City Schools
Quinnipiac University Poll Finds;
Most Found Voting Easy, But Want Better System

State spending on New York City schools should be increased, 60 percent of New York
State voters say in a Quinnipiac University poll released today. Funding should be kept
the same, say 27 percent of voters, and 4 percent say cut funding for city schools.

"New York City schools are likely to get more state money, either by court order
or legislative action, and that's a good thing according to New York City and suburban
voters, and even among 41 percent of upstaters," said Maurice Carroll, director of the
Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

"New York voters soundly reject the argument that the quality of education isn't
affected by the level of spending on schools."

Looking at schools statewide, 12 percent of New Yorkers say they are "very
good," while 49 percent say they are "fairly good;" 18 percent say they are "fairly
bad" and 13 percent say they are "very bad."

Schools in their own community are "very good," 33 percent say, while 40
percent say they are "fairly good;" 13 percent say they are "fairly bad" and 8 percent
say they are "very bad."
Election Reform

A total of 88 percent of New York State voters say they are "very satisfied" or
"somewhat satisfied" with their experience in the election booth last November. A total
of 87 percent say they found voting "very clear" or "somewhat clear."

By a 90 - 7 percent margin, however, New Yorkers say the federal government
should encourage a national standard for voting, and by a 65 - 29 percent margin, voters
say all polling places in the country should close at the same time.

Support is a lukewarm 48 - 44 percent for moving election day to a weekend so
people could vote either Saturday or Sunday.

Ending private contributions to congressional campaigns and replacing it with
government financing also gets 47 - 41 percent support.

"All of the mixed-up people must have moved to Florida. New York voters
seem to know their way around a voting machine," Carroll said.

"Overwhelmingly, voters would like to see Washington help states tidy up their
voting procedures."

From February 6 - 12, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,412 New York State
registered voters, with a margin of error of +/- 2.6 percent.

The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, conducts public
opinion surveys in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut as a public service and for
research.

For additional data -- www.quinnipiac.edu or call (203) 582-5201

13. People use different methods to vote throughout the country - such as
paper ballots and voting machines, among others. Thinking about the method that
you used to vote in this past election, would you say you were very satisfied
with this method of voting, somewhat satisfied, somewhat dissatisfied, or very
dissatisfied?

Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Men Wom

Very sat 62% 72% 46% 63% 72% 57% 59% 67% 40% 60% 63%

Smwht sat 26 21 34 24 19 28 28 25 29 26 25

Smwht dissat 7 5 9 9 7 7 9 6 15 8 7

Very dissat 4 1 10 3 2 6 3 3 14 5 4

DK/NA 1 1 1 - - 1 1 1 1 1 -

14. How clear or confusing did you find this method of voting? Would you
say it was very clear, somewhat clear, somewhat confusing or very confusing?

Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Men Wom

Very clear 67% 76% 54% 69% 80% 60% 67% 72% 44% 69% 66%

Smwht clear 20 16 25 19 14 23 21 19 25 19 20

Smwht confusing 10 7 15 9 5 13 10 8 20 10 10

Very confusing 3 1 5 3 1 4 2 1 10 2 4

DK/NA - - 1 - - - - - 1 - -

15. How confident are you that your vote was accurately counted -
very confident, somewhat confident, not too confident or not confident at all?

Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Men Wom

Very con 64% 72% 54% 64% 76% 59% 62% 68% 43% 66% 62%

Smwht con 25 22 30 26 20 26 30 24 29 24 27

Not too con 7 3 12 8 3 11 5 5 21 6 8

Not con at all 2 1 3 1 - 2 2 1 5 2 2

DK/NA 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 1

16. Do you think the federal government should or should not encourage a
uniform method for voting that would be used in every voting place in the
country?

Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Men Wom

Yes/Should 90% 88% 91% 94% 87% 93% 91% 90% 89% 88% 92%

No/Should not 7 9 5 5 8 6 6 7 8 10 5

DK/NA 3 3 4 1 5 1 2 3 3 2 3

17. Some people have suggested that election day should be changed from
Tuesday to an entire weekend so that people would be able to vote on either
Saturday or Sunday. Do you think this is a good idea or a bad idea?

Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Men Wom

Good idea 48% 43% 60% 42% 34% 58% 49% 43% 71% 47% 50%

Bad idea 44 49 35 48 58 36 43 48 25 45 44

DK/NA 8 7 6 10 8 6 8 8 5 8 7

18. Do you favor or oppose setting a uniform nationwide poll closing time on the
night of a Presidential election, so that all polling places across the country
close at the same time?

Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Men Wom

Favor 65% 68% 66% 59% 64% 67% 66% 64% 77% 63% 66%

Oppose 29 26 28 34 31 27 27 29 22 31 27

DK/NA 7 7 6 7 5 7 6 7 2 6 7

19. Do you favor or oppose allowing people to register to vote on election day?

Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Men Wom

Favor 46% 41% 59% 38% 33% 56% 44% 42% 70% 43% 48%

Oppose 50 54 37 59 62 41 52 54 28 53 47

DK/NA 4 5 5 3 5 4 4 4 1 4 5

20. Some people have suggested ending private contributions to congressional
campaigns, and having the government finance congressional campaigns through
voluntary contributions from taxpayers. Do you think this is a good idea or
a bad idea?

Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Men Wom

Good idea 47% 44% 50% 48% 41% 50% 51% 47% 49% 48% 47%

Bad idea 41 43 38 40 49 40 36 40 44 41 40

DK/NA 12 12 12 12 10 11 13 12 7 11 13

21. How would you rate the quality of New York State's public schools -
very good, fairly good, fairly bad or very bad?

Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Men Wom

Very good 12% 16% 5% 14% 14% 12% 11% 13% 6% 12% 12%

Fairly good 49 57 38 50 55 47 49 51 39 49 49

Fairly bad 18 15 26 13 14 21 17 16 21 18 18

Very bad 13 8 21 12 9 14 13 10 28 13 13

DK/NA 8 5 11 11 8 6 10 9 5 8 9

22. How would you rate the quality of public schools in your community -
very good, fairly good, fairly bad or very bad?

Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Men Wom

Very good 33% 37% 15% 49% 41% 30% 31% 38% 16% 34% 33%

Fairly good 40 45 37 36 40 39 42 40 45 40 40

Fairly bad 13 10 23 5 9 16 11 11 18 13 13

Very bad 8 5 14 6 5 11 8 6 18 9 8

DK/NA 6 3 11 4 5 4 8 6 3 5 6

23. In your opinion, how much does the amount of money spent on a public school
student's education affect the quality of his or her education - a great deal,
some, not much or not at all?

Tot Ups NYC Sub Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Men Wom

Great deal 49% 45% 57% 48% 40% 59% 44% 47% 64% 49% 49%

Some 32 35 24 37 36 27 37 35 18 31 32

Not much 11 13 10 9 16 7 12 11 10 12 10

Not at all 4 3 5 5 4 3 4 4 5 4 4

DK/NA 4 4 4 2 4 3 3 4 4 3 4

24. Do you think that state spending on New York City public schools should be
increased, decreased, or kept about the same?